The 2-4 Washington Redskins are better than their record indicates, while the 4-2 Indianapolis Colts have labored since Day 1 despite their record. These struggling teams -- both looking for some playoff leverage -- meet in Washington, D.C., this week on ESPN's "Sunday Night Football" (8:30 p.m. ET).

The Redskins are coming off back-to-back losses to New Orleans and Green Bay, which has prompted coach Steve Spurrier to bench rookie quarterback Patrick Ramsey. With a rookie quarterback, you're going to see mistakes. In the past two losses, Ramsey was sacked seven and six times, respectively. He's been making mistakes while trying to figure out what Spurrier wants. He was lucky to throw only four interceptions against New Orleans -- it could have been seven. Against Green Bay, Ramsey was responsible for five fumbles.

Benching Ramsey is a good move. A coach can't sacrifice a team's chance to win for the opportunity to help a young player grow. Playing Shane Matthews at quarterback gives the Redskins the best chance to win. I believe this has been the case all along, while Spurrier shuffled his starting quarterbacks (from Matthews to Wuerffel to Ramsey and back to Matthews).

Theismann's Keys

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS Offense: Rediscover Some Rhythm -- Indy has to get into an offensive rhythm. Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison are too talented to struggle the way they have collectively at times this season. They can't take two steps forward and one step back. They need to find the right balance between the running and passing game. Plus, the Colts need to figure out a way to block LaVar Arrington, who has become a force. Defense: Stop the Pass -- The Colts must stop the Redskins' passing game. They need to put pressure on the quarterback and not allow the Redskins to put points on the board through the air. WASHINGTON REDSKINS Offense: Protect the QB -- Give Shane Matthews a chance to make plays. Matthews will be able to recognize blitzes and deliver the ball better than Patrick Ramsey did. You can't judge players solely on a game-to-game basis, and I believe that the move to Matthews is permanent as long as he can stay healthy. A consistent quarterback is the single biggest factor for the Redskins' offense. Even the Bengals, who are horrible, are staying with Jon Kitna. Defense: Shut Down Harrison -- If you shut down wide receiver Marvin Harrison, you shut down the Colts' offense. Make the other guys beat you. Double Harrison with a safety, and put Champ Bailey on Colts wide receiver Qadry Ismail. Force Ismail and the other Colts' receivers to make plays.

Matthews won't make the same mistakes Ramsey has been making. With Matthews, the Redskins should be able to run the ball better. The 'Skins also signed offensive guard Tre' Johnson, who should contribute immediately with 15 plays or so, giving them another big body in the middle.

Over the past two years, the Redskins have been about change. Whether it's coaches, quarterbacks or personnel, the whole team has been in transition. When Spurrier came in, he wasn't shy about saying he's going to make changes.

This latest quarterback change gives Ramsey a chance to step away from the pressure, study some film and learn. The problem with Ramsey is that he missed all of training camp. You can't learn an offense on the fly, and what we've seen from him is the direct result of that. When defenses give him different looks, he doesn't quite know where to go with the football.

The Redskins' passing game is based on the quarterback and receiver being on the same page. On every route, the receivers have up to four options. Because of that complexity and Ramsey's inexperience, the move back to Matthews gives the 'Skins their best chance to win. Meanwhile, the defense is playing better, which is essential.

Washington's offense won't resemble Marty-ball, which focuses on the run, but I think Spurrier tried to run the ball more against Green Bay. From a coaching standpoint, Spurrier has made some questionable fourth-down calls. The 'Skins have gone for it on fourth down nine times this year (converting four). Spurrier probably looks back on some of those non-converted fourth downs and second-guesses his decision.

The Redskins' playoff hopes are but doubtful. To me, the Philadelphia Eagles are the best team in the NFC, and being in the same division with Philly hurts the 'Skins -- remember, there are only two wild cards in each conference this season (and four division champs). But we all know that anything can happen. Last season, the 'Skins finished with an 8-3 run after starting 0-5. For the past three years we've seen enough Cinderella stories, so who knows?

The Colts barely beat the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals, and they were beaten soundly by the Miami Dolphins. When Indy plays a good team, they struggle offensively, which is a surprise considering their weapons.

Quarterback Peyton Manning is not playing as well as he has in the past. On Monday night, he tried to force a ball at the end of the half and had it picked off (he threw three interceptions overall). Edgerrin James looks to be about 80 percent of what he was. The Colts' offense is built around three players: Manning, James and Marvin Harrison. So if one isn't at 100 percent and another is struggling, that offense will struggle to produce points.

Two things have happened to the Colts offense: They've missed big-play opportunities and they've made critical mistakes that have prevented them from getting in an offensive rhythm. That's been the story of the season for them. In every game you see the same thing -- whether it's an overthrow or a dropped pass or a penalty at the wrong time. Something stops them or they stop themselves.

On defense, the Colts have a philosophy that they're still trying to fit their personnel to. I expected them to struggle a bit with Tony Dungy's new system, because the NFL today is about people, not systems. They need better personnel.

It took general manager Bill Polian four years to build the offense. For the sake of Colts' fans, hopefully it will take less time to build the defense. Defensive end Dwight Freeney gives them a big body inside, while fellow defensive end Chad Bratzke is playing a different role than he has before. On Monday night, he was covering Hines Ward, which is a mismatch for the Colts.

The Colts are in first place in the AFC South, but they're vulnerable. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans are as good as Indy. There's no dominant team in that division, like the Eagles in the NFC East.

A game analyst for ESPN's Sunday Night Football, former NFL QB Joe Theismann won a Super Bowl and a league MVP award.